F.C.C. TSR Honda France qualifies third for the 24 Heures Motos
Circuit Bugatti, Le MansIn Superstock category, National Motos Honda on pole position and Chromeburner-RAC 41 Honda in third place.
The 24 Heures Motos 47th edition, the opening round of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship, will take place on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 of April 2024, showcasing fourteen Honda-powered teams—more than twice the number from the previous year.
The F.C.C. TSR Honda France qualified in third with the aim of claiming a second consecutive victory at the 24 Heures Motos at the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans.
Mounted on the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, the #5 team is full of confidence to fight for the victory with its three riders, the Australian Josh Hook, and the Frenchmen Mike Di Meglio and Alan Techer, and reclaim the world title.
In the free practice session, #5 had limited track time during the morning, but the riders managed to deliver quality laps in the qualifying session. With a very competitive base setting, all three riders demonstrated a strong race pace in perfect weather conditions and on a dry track.
During the first qualifying session, Hook led the charge, clocking the fourth fastest time in his group at 01:35.485. Meanwhile, Di Meglio claimed the third spot with a lap time of 01:35.680, and Techer secured the second-fastest time at 01:35.359.
The second qualifying session was held in lower temperatures and cloudy weather. Hook took first place right from the start and extended his lead to over a second on the following lap, with a time of 01:35.244. The Aussie rider maintained his lead, improving to 1.35.087, nearly four-tenths faster than the previous day. Di Meglio set his fastest lap of 1.36.461, the fifth fastest of his session, and Techer ended his qualifying session in second place with a time of 01:35.998.
By averaging the two fastest times from the qualifying sessions, 01:35.223, the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team riders put the #5 Fireblade in 3rd place on the grid. This result gives the team 3 additional important points for the championship.
Honda Viltaïs Racing concluded the combined qualifying with an average lap time of 01:35.354, securing a fourth place on the grid with their Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. During the initial day of qualifying, the Honda #333 claimed second position, followed by a fourth place on the second day, showing his determination to kick off the second year aboard the Fireblade, ready to battle for victories.
National Motos emerged from the Qualifying sessions as the top-performing team in the Superstock category, securing pole position at 01:37.178. The #55 Honda squad holds great confidence in achieving a good result, thanks to the formidable trio of the Swiss Suchet brothers and Frenchman Guillaume Raymond. Their consistent race pace, coupled with the exceptional performance, reliability, and consistency of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, give confidence for a successful race.
Chromeburner RAC 41 Honda secured the third fastest lap time in the Superstock category, posting a time of 01:37.402. The privateer Honda #41 team introduced new riders to the squad, with the addition of a fourth one for the race. During the qualifying press conference, newcomer rider Martin Renaurdin, expressed optimism about the potential of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and confidence in securing a podium finish.
The 24 Heures Motos will be flagged off at 3pm (CEST) on Saturday 20th April and finished at 3pm (CEST) on Sunday 21st April.
This morning I had a very good feeling on the bike. The track was fast and conditions were good for qualifying. I was a bit hampered today by the traffic, which prevented me from setting the perfect lap. But we're very happy to start 3rd, it's a very good result. I can't wait for the race to start!
We're happy with this result. If Josh had had a clear lap we could have started 2nd, but the team has done a really good job of optimising performance since testing. All 3 of us feel good on the bike. Now we need to stay calm because we have a long race ahead of us.
The whole team is very happy with qualifying because we've found the right set-up for the race and all 3 of us have a good pace. We know that this is a very difficult race, so we need to stay focused during the stints to pocket some big championship points at the finish on Sunday.
